May 27, 2012

Tide Pods detergent is set to receive a new, more secure lid intended to deter kids from eating the bright packets that resemble candy. The one-inch packets, which are dropped into the washing machine, replace liquid or powder laundry detergent. Procter & Gamble spokesman Paul Fox says the company is working on a double-hatch lid for Tide Pods. MSNBC reports that Tide Pods and similar laundry products have been swallowed in almost 250 cases reported to poison control centers across the nation this year. Most of the cases occurred after several companies began marketing the laundry packets in March.

A study involving more than 7,500 women enrolled in the Contraceptive CHOICE project found that hormonal implants placed subcutaneously in the upper arm and intrauterine devices (IUDs) were more effective than the pill and the vaginal ring. Of the 334 pregnancies during the study, almost half related to birth control failure, only 21 were women using IUDs or implants. Women under 21 had twice the risk of an unplanned pregnancy if they were on the pill or using the ring. Researchers speculate that forgetting to take a pill every day and the difficulties in getting a refill add to these numbers. Unfortunately, the initial costs of IUD and implants are expensive which prevent many women from using them and are only used by 5.5 percent of American women who use birth control.